During the period from 30 May to 3 June 2016, FAO in collaboration with IFAD organized the training program on improving the planning capability and implementation of poverty reduction policies with the participation of delegations of four students from Laos, Cambodia, Nepal and Vietnam.

The program participants are officials who are directly involved in the planning process and implementation of agricultural policies and rural development in their countries. Vietnam delegation included participants from six people, including two consultants of CAP: Vietnam's Bui Thi Anh and Nguyen Minh Cuong. Both of them have a master's degree and has much experience in the field of research and agricultural policy advice. List of lecturers includes Dr. Pedro Marcelo (FAO expert), Dr. Marlo Ranking (FAO expert), Dr. Thilak Mallawaarachchi (University of Queensland, Australia).

Vietnamese students and faculty take a souvenir photo

The structure of the program design is consistent with the actual needs of the students. On the first day, topics of discussion are how to move a message into a research and integration policies for small farmers market. Subject of the second day is the public-private partnership (PPP) in the field of agriculture and the availability of the current legal system for agricultural PPP. On the third day, participants discussed a pretty practical problem is to build the value chain for sustainable goods across borders in the context of global market integration. On the fourth day, students and teachers together to discuss poverty reduction policy covers, including the active participation of the small farmers.

The fifth day is the day in the field, all students and faculty members visit one of the successful models of poverty reduction Soc Son Commune, Dong Anh District, Hanoi (Ha Tay), that's the Sáng Thiện mushrooms cooperative model. With start-up capital of 80 million, up to now cooperative has annual sales of about 3 billion, creating jobs for about 30 employees. The students asked many questions and gained valuable experience from the implementation of a model of poverty reduction in Vietnam. 

The students were excited to visit Ha Long Bay

The program ended with a tour of Ha Long Bay, one of the natural wonders of Vietnam has been recognized by UNESCO. Throughout the program, the delegation of Vietnam in general and counseling center staff in particular agricultural policy is always positive and proactive in the home position to actively participate in the comments on the class, put the delegation to visit and explore Vietnam culture outside the classroom. The foreign students have expressed satisfaction with the training program and have a good impression to the country and the people of Vietnam